Chapter Fifty-Six: The Battle Begins

Charmander gazed at the massive Muk before him, a blazing fighting spirit surging in his heart. The Muk, meanwhile, was astonished that such a small Charmander could unleash an attack of such magnitude. Beyond his disbelief, he set aside his earlier disdain and began to take his opponent seriously.

This little Charmander was worthy of his earnest attention.

Yet, witnessing everything that had transpired, Chen Ou couldn’t help but furrow his brow. This Muk seemed a bit weak, didn’t it? Judging from his earlier battle with Brock, this Muk’s energy level was about on par with a Gym Leader’s ace Pokémon, perhaps barely brushing the edge of the Elite Four’s caliber. But since it was a wild Pokémon, he automatically downgraded its rank by half to a full level. In truth, this was just an average Gym-level Pokémon—certainly not weak, but still far from being able to cause the chaos witnessed outside earlier.

So… could there be another mastermind behind the scenes?

With a probing look, Chen Ou scanned his surroundings, trying to discern if any other hunters lurked nearby.

Of course, Muk wasn’t about to halt his assault at a moment like this. Another Sludge Bomb was hurled forth. The purple-black sludge was thick with poisonous energy, its pungent stench radiating a palpable sense of danger.

Now, Chen Ou finally understood why most people dreaded facing Poison-type trainers and their Pokémon. Sometimes, the Poison attribute alone could sap an opponent’s will to fight—making them so disgusted they simply lost the desire to battle.

At that moment, Chen Ou found himself admiring Koga. It was said that in his youth, Koga would have his Muk form a cloak and drape it over his own shoulders. A true warrior dares to face Muk’s stench head-on! Dares to gaze unflinchingly at its foulness. —Lu Xun.

(Lu Xun: “Stop twisting my words, you scoundrel!”)

Neither Chen Ou nor Charmander had any intention of taking that attack head-on, so they each dodged to the side. In fact, that was exactly what Muk had been hoping for. Seizing upon Charmander’s unsteady footing, he immediately unleashed Disable. To be fair, despite lacking a trainer’s direction or formal battle training, this Muk had survived in the wild for years—he must have a trick or two up his sleeve.

It was clear this Muk had ample combat experience and had developed a unique fighting style. Pokémon like this were rarely sought after by trainers; after all, painting on a blank canvas is far easier than trying to fix a scrawled mess.

Still, Chen Ou had never intended to capture this creature. True, he’d always wanted to catch non-Fire Pokémon to test whether his special ability would still work, but he would never choose a Muk. Not out of discrimination—after all, even Koga, cloaked in Muk, had found a wife—but because he felt Poison-types didn’t complement his abilities. Yes, that was the reason.

“Charmander, jump up and use Dragon Breath!”

Chen Ou issued his command coolly. The situation was hardly dire. After all, a wild Pokémon that hadn’t undergone formal trainer instruction was never truly fearsome unless it had reached the Elite level. In a world so vast, such creatures were countless in the wild.

The flame-tinged, violet-red Dragon Breath blasted into Muk, who instantly felt a scorching heat and a surge of fear. The former was the property of a Fire-type attack; the latter, the essence of Dragon energy. But now, these two forces seemed to have merged into one—simply unbelievable.

Of course, logic hardly applied to the blessed.

Chen Ou’s luck had always been extraordinary—perhaps all his misfortune had been spent on that mistaken journey across worlds. After all, dying once was hardly different from a calamity. As they say, those who survive disaster are destined for good fortune.

Thus, as soon as Muk was gripped by fear, his movements grew sluggish—evidently paralyzed. There was no denying it: the chosen one’s battles were always so plain, so tedious.

When would Chen Ou manage to score a double lucky break…?

“Charmander, Rock Slide!”

That’s right—Rock Slide. Chen Ou couldn’t tell whether his own power was stronger, or if Charmander was simply that talented. Or perhaps it was the synergy of both. Either way, it had been less than three days since he’d acquired the TM, and already Charmander had mastered the move, using it with impressive proficiency.

It was almost inconceivable…

Upon hearing the command, Charmander sprang onto a nearby rock, then landed and unleashed Rock Slide. Flaming meteor-like boulders appeared overhead, crashing down mercilessly onto Muk.

The fiery stones looked like molten lava, like shooting stars, like burning embers. The searing heat and tremendous force drew anguished howls from Muk.

Chen Ou felt not the slightest twinge of pity.

“Charmander, again—Rock Slide!”

As Charmander repeated the attack, Chen Ou rubbed his chin with a thoughtful air, wondering if he should amass some more TMs. If Charmander was this gifted at learning new moves, he ought to make the most of it—squeeze every last drop of potential.

Out of nowhere, Charmander shuddered with a chill. He wondered if the heap of sludge before him had some hidden trick in reserve, so he ramped up the energy output again. This time, the falling rocks were even larger than before, slamming down on Muk without mercy.

Muk screamed in agony, then fell silent…

Dead? Hardly. Most likely, he’d simply lost the ability to fight.

Chen Ou couldn’t be sure whether Muk was faking. Given that Muk’s survival instincts were among the strongest of all Pokémon, he had Charmander unleash several more rounds of Rock Slide, Ember, and Dragon Breath—just to be certain the creature was truly incapacitated.

Obediently, Charmander continued the “post-defeat beating.”

Chen Ou, however, shook his head in mild disappointment. This Muk was all show and no substance—looked formidable, but only had two tricks: Sludge Bomb and Disable. After that, perhaps a Body Slam or something similar. Once interrupted, he was utterly helpless…

All that could be said was that a trainer was truly vital to any Pokémon’s success.

Chen Ou had hoped this battle would push Charmander to evolve, but Muk had failed to exert any real pressure. It was no surprise evolution hadn’t come.

“Well, it’s just a matter of a few days, sooner or later. No need to rush,” Chen Ou thought to himself.

And then… the sound of high heels striking the ground rang out nearby…